Years Gone By
by L.uca Kerberos
Summary: Why? Why had Yuna chosen to summon the Final Aeon? Why had her friends died? Rikku ponders these thoughts as she thinks of years gone by. Minor RikkuGippal and FFXFFX2 Spoilers


Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X nor any of it's characters. I do own any original characters and the plot. Stealing may result in legal action.

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Years Gone By

One-Shot

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It had been almost five years now.

Five years since Sin had been destroyed.

Five years since Yuna had given up her life to save Spira.

Rikku sighed as she stared off into the ocean, her blonde hair glinting from the red waves of the sunset in front of her.

Why had Yuna changed her mind?

Why had she decided to go with what Yunalesca had said?

Couldn't there have been another way?

But Rikku knew why. Yuna was tired and was at her breaking point.

In the end, Kimahri had volunteered and given his life to become the Final Aeon. Why he had chosen to do that, Rikku could only imagine. It may have been because it was in retribution for when Seymour destroyed the Ronso, or it may have been because he felt he had lived up to his duty in protecting Yuna.

Rikku had seen the tender looks that Yuna and Tidus had shared, and she watched in horror as Yuna died in a sobbing Tidus' arms. Rikku knew that Yuna had wanted to save Tidus and try to send him back to Zanarkand.

But Yuna was wrong. After the last bit of life had left Yuna's body, one of the Fayth had appeared, and it was apparent that he was saddened.

'I am sorry, but we can no longer dream. We may rise again in the future, but now...now people will have to find other ways of defeating Sin...'

Rikku remembered that moment so well. As soon as the Fayth had dissolved into the air, Tidus' body was rapidly disappearing. She remembered the look on his face, and it nearly made her cry.

He was sobbing in an uncontrollable wave of emotion, his eyes wide as he stared at Yuna's body and desperately tried to cling to it.

Rikku and the others had watched in horror as Tidus' hands went straight through the dead Summoner's body.

'No...NO! I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HER!'

Tidus had choked out those words as the last of his body disappeared, leaving a shocked crowd of Guardians behind.

And then there was Auron. While everyone was focused on Tidus' disappearance, they had failed to notice the pyreflies that were rising from Auron's body.

Rikku had been the first to notice it.

'Auron!'

She had cried out, her eyes wide in surprise. Auron had let out a small chuckle, the corners of his mouth lifting up slightly in what could be called a smile. She did not know why he was smiling and laughing at a time like this. She would have thought he would be crying or at least shaken up, like he was with Braska and Jecht's deaths. But no. The Legendary Guardian was smiling as the pyreflies arising from him multiplied in number.

'This...is the end of the story. It is my time to leave. Farewell, everyone.'

And then...he had just disappeared. All that remained of the great man that had once stood there was a vast amount of pyreflies who, too, soon disappeared into the darkness of the Zanarkand Ruins.

For years after that everyone was distraught, especially herself. Wakka and Lulu had gotten married and had a small girl. They visited Yuna, Tidus, Auron, and Kimahri's graves every day.

Rikku did not take the death of her cousin quite as easily. She became distant and cold. She joined a small fiend hunting group and made several new friends.

The silver-haired Paine reminded Rikku of Lulu, and the two quickly became friends. Paine had introduced Rikku to Gippal, and the two had hit it off right away. About a year after the two had met, they had started a slightly rocky relationship, and slowly, oh so slowly, Rikku was going back to her old self.

Over the years, she had come to realize something. If a friend dies...you can keep them alive in your heart and your memories.

Now, as she sat on the edge of the Besaid shore, she realized that this saying could never be more true than it was at the moment.

For this was the anniversary of Yuna's death and the death of her friends.

"Rikku? What are you thinking about? Lulu ordered me to come get you for dinner." Gippal's voice broke through the young Al Bhed's thoughts as he embraced her from behind.

"Hm? Nothing...Just thinking..." She said softly as she leaned back into her fiancee's chest.

"Ok...hurry up or Lulu will have my hide." Gippal said. Rikku could tell he didn't believe a word she said, but he didn't push it. He gave her a quick peck on the cheeks as he walked off, leaving Rikku to herself once again.

"Just thinking...of days long past..."

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**Shiroi Hikari:** Well? Was it good? I got this idea one night while I trying to fall asleep, and it's been stuck in my head ever since. Now, I haven't played Final Fantasy X-2 yet, but I will once I buy it on Wednesday. Anyways, I think it's sort of weird the way I formatted this story, what with it switching between scenes so quickly. But it's all in a flashback of Rikku's memories, so whatever.

Ja ne and please review!

Shiroi Hikari


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